Roma's midfield crisis: why Koné is irreplaceable

Lorenzo Pellegrini can use the three-week international break to rediscover his form and become a crucial player for Roma under Gian Piero Gasperini. The halt in fixtures offers the midfielder time to reset and prepare for the second phase of the season, with the break potentially proving as beneficial as bringing in a new signing. Pellegrini remains a central part of Gasperini's Roma project. The international pause provides an opportunity to work on fitness, shape and tactical understanding ahead of the resumption of matches. For Roma, having Pellegrini firing on all cylinders could prove decisive as the season develops. The break comes at a significant moment in Roma's campaign. With Gasperini's philosophy now fully embedded in the squad, Pellegrini's ability to influence play and drive the team forward will be essential to the club's ambitions in the coming weeks.

Roma radio stations have dissected the team's opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, focusing on attacking output, midfield deployment, and the defensive lapses that cost them against Inter. Gianluca Piacentini noted that while the team has impressed overall, Santiago Castro has yet to score despite solid performances, and the attacking group has contributed only three goals total—two from Matías Soulé and one from Rodrigo Mora—leaving room for improvement. Donyell Malen, who remained in Rome during the international break, has been the standout performer among the forwards. The consensus is that Roma's attackers, particularly Castro, Soulé and Mora, would have benefited from staying at Trigoria rather than joining their national teams for what several commentators dismissed as unnecessary international fixtures. Francesca Ferrazza explained that criticism of Paulo Dybala's reduced shooting is misplaced: "Now they're criticising Dybala because he doesn't score and doesn't shoot, but in my opinion it's precisely a deliberate choice to shoot less in goal. A choice shared with the manager, by the way. To extend his season and his career, he plays for others more than for himself." The discussion around Lorenzo Pellegrini centred on tactical fit. Lorenzo Pes raised concerns about how Pellegrini will adapt to Gasperini's intensity: "What intrigues me is how he might fit into certain systems. When you play with a trequartista, that is his best position, perhaps in that role he's the best you have, but when you line up differently on the pitch I'm not sure how much he can adapt. Last season he did reasonably well but in a very different Roma—now it's much more intense. Gasperini says he can see him in midfield too, but in that role he's never actually put him there." Mario Corsi challenged the narrative around Gianluca Mancini's role in Inter's goal, pointing out that four Roma defenders were on the pitch yet failed to function as a unit. He argued the real issue is a lack of a player who can beat his man consistently. Piero Torri stressed that after the international break, Roma will need all available players, with Gasperini having stated the team must operate with a squad of 20 across a seven-match stretch. Roberto Pruzzo offered a positive assessment, noting that Malen's presence this season—absent last year—and Dybala's apparent full recovery give Roma credible tools to challenge Inter, especially once the remainder of the transfer window closes. Luigi Salomone suggested that had Roma's previous manager substituted a different forward earlier against Lazio, the result might have shifted dramatically. The international break will resume mid-October, after which Roma face a compressed fixture list in both Serie A and the Champions League that will test squad depth and tactical flexibility.

Paulo Dybala has played more minutes than ever before under Gian Piero Gasperini this season, but the Argentine forward has yet to find the back of the net as he works his way back to full sharpness. According to Leggo, Dybala ranks third for minutes played across the 2026-27 campaign with 497 minutes, behind only Bryan Cristante and Mario Hermoso, a sign of the physical condition and extra work he has put in. The breakthrough comes after a difficult injury history: Dybala had missed 49 matches since joining in 2022, but has remained unbroken since late April. Gasperini hopes to restore Dybala's finishing touch to lift Roma's level. Dybala has effectively provided one assist per match played but the club now needs him to score to turn individual consistency into collective success.